Special stalls at book fair for science students

Jorhat, Jan. 15: The fourth edition of the Jorhat Book Fair organised by Heritage Assam from January 17 to 27, will have an additional attraction for students of law, engineering and medical science, besides the usual fare of books.

A few stalls will be set up particularly to cater to these segments.

A programme titled Kanya Suraksha will also be held on January 26 as part of the book fair, in which girls of different schools, who had undergone training in self-defence, will demonstrate various ways in which a girl can protect herself.

Pramode Tamuly, secretary of Heritage Assam, said the present times warranted a similar programme, as our girls need to protect themselves.

“It is seen that especially girls going from the Northeast to other states are harassed, molested and raped. Unless they learn a few self-defence tactics, they will not be able to move without fear. With an increasing number of girls working in BPOs and other organisations, which have night shifts, it is imperative that they are not victimised and do not live in fear all the time,” he said.

Another first for the book fair will be the shifting of venue from the JDSA grounds to the Bisturam Barooah hall premises.

Entry will be complimentary for teachers and schoolchildren up to Class X.

“Though the premises will be a bit cramped, we will not cut short in the number of publishers, with 51 of them accepting and 81 stalls being set up. A few of the publishers will have more than one stall,” Tamuly said. The National Library, Students Emporium, Law Book Agency and Arihant will set up stalls for engineering, medical and law students.

“Although books under these categories are available in a few book stores here, many of them are available only in Guwahati, Calcutta or Delhi. Students in Jorhat will now be able to get them easily without having to order for them,” Tamuly said.

This will be done keeping in mind the aim of Heritage Assam to promote science and there will be plans to promote other subjects as well.

The Sahitya Akademi will have a separate stall and so will the National Book Trust, which will also have a section on children’s literature.

Apart from books, the organisers will also hold a number of competitions and cultural programmes for students.

A poetry recitation competition on January 18, a discussion by the District Institute of Education and Training on January 19 and an art competition for children and a special programme by Akoni Sahitya Sabha, Nagaon, on January 20, will be held.

On January 21, a multi-language poetry recital programme organised by the Lekhika Somaroh will be held and a talk on popularising science among children, organised by the North East Institute of Science and Technology will be held in the evening.

Kaziranga University will hold a quiz contest for students between Class XI and degree-level on January 22 and in the evening, a discussion on literature will be held along with a career-counselling programme.

On January 23, a storytelling competition for children and a cultural show by JB College will be organised, while a quiz contest for schoolchildren and a youth poetry recital programme will be held on January 24.